Beautiful Music
by Dustbunny3
Summary: [One-shot][UhuRand] Nyota Uhura may be fresh off a double shift, but that doesn't mean she wants to go to bed alone. Lucky thing that Janice Rand is happy to accompany her.
A/N: Man, I suck at crossposting... Anyway! I wrote this for Femslash February. It's actually born from a seed of an idea I had for last year, but I did all drabbles last year and couldn't wrangle the concept into one hundred words I found suitable. Why wait so long to visit the idea again? That's just how I roll. Enjoy!

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Uhura dropped into a chair and caught her breath in heaving gulps through her smile as the rec room burst into applause. Mr. Spock nodded and offered one of those smiles that was mostly in his eyes before turning in his seat, secluding himself in the middle of a crowded room. People were back about their own business within a minute, save those who stopped by to thank her for the song and compliment her voice. Nyota opened her mouth to thank Ensign Ro for her praise and found herself talking through a yawn.

In the next moment, a familiar and welcome hand was on her upper back and a cup of tea hot from the replicator was held in front of her. After flashing a last grin at Ro, Nyota turned to face Janice Rand, hovering over her shoulder with a smile.

"Thank you," she said, smiling in return, before taking a deep drink. "This is just what I needed."

"What you need is some rest," Janice scolded gently, running the hand on Nyota's back across her shoulder blades. The other hand found its way to Nyota's arm. "Didn't you just come off a double-shift?"

"You know I get keyed up sitting up there," said Nyota. "All this nervous energy and nothing to do with it– on a good day, at least."

"Well, that last song seems like it took it out of you."

"It did wear me down," Nyota admitted. She drank again without taking her eyes from Janice's. Then she set the cup down in front of her and leaned in just a little, intimate but not scandalous. "But not so much that I'm keen to go back to my room alone."

"So, don't," Janice breathed across Nyota's lips. Her hands on Nyota's shoulder and arm pressed promise through her uniform into her skin.

Smiling, Nyota leaned in further, just enough to bump her nose against Janice's, before pulling back to stand. The hand on her arm fell away, the one on her shoulder letting go so as to stay in place and brush against her back as she stood. She finished the last of her tea in one long pull, then let Janice lead her away with the hand on her back.

By the time they got to her door, she was pressed along Janice's side, her arm wrapped around Janice's shoulders and Janice's arm around her waist. It might have been from wariness, she might have needed the support after being off her feet and then getting back up onto them, but, no– this was contact for contact's sake. Nyota thought that the charge singing through her veins could have carried her through another shift, never mind the short walk to her quarters.

They came together in a kiss as the door closed behind them, lips parted against each other. Janice's other arm wound around Nyota's waist and Nyota's free hand was soon buried in Janice's hair, making a mess of the carefully-crafted up-do. They shifted, pressed closer, unhurried but no less passionate for it. Janice's hands began to wander, fingers walking along her hips, up her sides, across her back; they smoothed back down to her waist then lower, pulling her hips flush to Janice's.

Nyota sighed, went willingly, slid her tongue into Janice's mouth. Janice responded immediately, following Nyota's tongue with her own back past Nyota's lips to swipe up behind her teeth. Nyota shivered at the touch, toes curling and fingers raking across Janice's shoulders and scalp. Heat pooled low in Nyota's belly and that was about the time she had to swallow another yawn.

Janice noticed, of course Janice noticed, and she snorted a laugh against Nyota's mouth. Nyota laughed with her, sheepish. Their kiss broke less than gently but they pressed their smiles to each other's lips and rested their foreheads together in a sort of apology.

"Sorry," Nyota said. "It's not you, believe me."

Janice darted in to steal another kiss, but her smile was concerned when she leaned back. She said, "Ny–"

"It's fine," Nyota cut in firmly. She had both hands cupping the nape of Janice's neck then and squeezed just a little, inviting Janice in for another kiss. "I'm not so tired I can't entertain a guest. Stay, please?"

"I was planning to," Janice said; she ducked her head, shy, just for a moment before reestablishing eye contact. "I will, if you want. But that doesn't mean that we have to do anything you're not up for."

"We won't," Nyota assured her. She gave Janice a moment to read the truth in her eyes before leaning in for another kiss. This one was slower and yet more brief before they parted again, smiling into each other's eyes. "Come to bed?"

Janice answered with a peck to the corner of Nyota's mouth and Nyota couldn't help but to pull her in for another proper kiss. After taking a moment to strip their boots, they made their way to bed in a sort of shuffling waltz, unlatching fastens and tugging hair free. Pins hit the floor along with clothes and they could hardly stop kissing long enough to share a laugh over the possibility of finding them again with their bare feet.

Nyota hit the edge of the bed with the backs of her knees so suddenly that she lost her balance, arms thrown out instinctively; only Janice's hands on her hips saved her from the fall. Then mischief found its way into Janice's eyes and she let go a moment before Nyota could protest. She tired to look indignant, but thought the way she chuckled as she bounced on the surface probably gave her away. Janice grinned down at her, more than mischief in the gaze she swept over Nyota's body, and it wasn't the cold covers against her heated skin that made Nyota shiver.

She shuffled towards the head of the bed, careful that she always arranged every limb so that her body was shown off to its best effect, Janice climbing up after her. When she reached her pillows, she flopped back onto them and Janice followed her down a moment later, a welcome weight pressing her into the bedding. Their hands walked in leisure over each other's bodies, revisiting favorite places learned from past encounters and seeking new experiences. Janice nuzzled along Nyota's shoulder and then kissed her way up her neck to her ear before nibbling her way back down. Nyota sighed and moaned at the attention, digging her heels into the bed for leverage to roll her body up against Janice's.

Janice gasped in turn, breathing hot and heavy into the crook of Nyota's neck. Her hips bucked, and the teeth she sank into Nyota's neck were retaliation and a favor returned in one package. Nyota actually cried out from pleasure, then gave Janice a playful spank when she felt her smirk into the mark she left. They both laughed, almost giggling, moving in for yet another kiss at the same moment.

When they parted again, they did so gasping, no longer able to get enough air through their noses. Janice shifted, wedged her knee high under Nyota's thigh to align their bodies just so. Nyota hooked her own knee up over Janice's hip to grant easier access, hand falling to Janice's other hip to help guide her. They rolled together once, twice, before Janice reached between them, fingers probing; their hips rolled a third time and there it was, like lightning. Moans rumbled through their chests like thunder and they writhed, hips bucking to make the lightning strike twice– then thrice, then they stopped counting.

The hand not clutching at Janice's hip, Janice caught up in her own, pinning it over Nyota's head and twining their fingers. Her other hand, its duty done below, was dragged up Nyota's belly to palm at one breast. They kissed again, uncoordinated, panting against each other's faces. Janice pressed the advantage granted from the high ground and a full eight hours of sleep in the last twenty-four, peppering kisses along Nyota's lips and face and neck and shoulders. Through it all, she never lost her footing–such as it was– or her rhythm, meeting Nyota thrust for thrust.

"Janice," Nyota said like a prayer.

"Me too," Janice said back, then choked on a gasp and cried out against Nyota's hair.

Janice let go of Nyota's breast to grab at her shoulder; the fingers folded around Nyota's clutched and curled, digging crescents into Nyota's knuckles. She bucked, riding out the aftershocks, Nyota's hand firm on her hip to guide and steady her. Her body seemed almost liquid as she was swept down the other side, falling over Nyota like a blanket. Nyota pet her hip and cooed soothing sounds into her ear.

"Sorry," she murmured against Nyota's ear as she slowly reacquainted herself with motor control. "I meant to get you there first."

"I don't mind to meet you there," Nyota assured her, pressing small kisses across her lips.

Janice sighed into one kiss, then grunted a bit as she pushed herself up enough to wiggle down the length of Nyota's body. Nyota considered protesting– she knew she wouldn't be able to reciprocate– but Janice dragged a _shhh_ over her breasts as she went, then another down her belly. She breathed one more into the curly hair between Nyota's thighs, followed it up with a kiss and then followed that up with her tongue.

Nyota arched and cried out, clawing at the covers. She knew it wouldn't take long, not with how well Janice knew her way around Nyota's body, and it didn't. Nyota came with a gasping succession of _ah_ , _ah_ , _ah_ , like she was trying to practice scales but couldn't breath to do so, orgasm thrumming through her like a slow song. Janice nuzzled at her hip and stroked her hands up and down her thighs, soothing her through it all.

"Wow," Nyota said, earning a huff of laughter from Janice. She let herself lay limp until Janice crawled up to lay beside her; then she forced her arms into just enough motion to pull Janice into an embrace that was quickly reciprocated. She kissed Janice long and slow, pulled back licking her own flavor from her lips and said again, "Stay?"

"Of course," Janice said, letting go of Nyota just long enough to drag a corner of the covers haphazardly over them both. She had to roll half on top of Nyota to accomplish it, but Nyota couldn't find it in her to mind.

They fell asleep tangled up in each other, breathing a chorus of contentment.


End file.
